Rescue Challenge 2006

[Monty 35]

Don't know if anyone has already seen this. Found it on Fire Engineering:

The Utica Fire Department, in cooperation with the NYS Office of Homeland Security and the NYS Office of Fire Prevention and Control is sponsoring "Rescue Challenge 2006" on October 21 - 22, 2006 in Utica, NY.

This practical exercise is intended to provide participating technical rescue and urban search and rescue teams with the ability to hone their skills in an actual collapse situation.

The Event: Imagine on a quiet and calm autumn day, an explosion suddenly erupts and partially demolishes a 100-yr-old, 2 story unreinforced masonry school. There has been a major interior collapse of the structure and dozens of civilians have been injured while many others still lay trapped in the collapsed rubble. A terrorist organization has taken responsibility for the attack!!

Your team is suddenly called upon to respond to this incident??.are you really ready?

This rescue challenge is designed to test the knowledge, skills and abilities of every facet of the technical rescue team. Participating teams will respond in, set up their cache and operate on site for two days.

All briefings and assignments will be provided the night before the actual start of the operation. For the next two days, teams will operate as they would at an actual incident, utilizing their respective logistics, plans, search, rescue and medical components of their team. There will be a local incident commander and state hierarchy in place that will be the command structure for the event and teams will operate in concert with each other. At the end of the second day, a critique will occur with a thorough after action evaluation of the exercise to follow.

Several highly experienced rescue individuals from around the region will be on site throughout the event acting as exercise coordinators and evaluators.

Each team will utilize their own tools & equipment and what ever local available assets are on site at the time of the incident. Expendable materials and supplies will be provided The incident will begin in the morning each day and terminate each evening at a preset time, before dark. During the incident, water and food will be provided to the participants. Lodging, meals and transportation will be the responsibility of each team participating in the exercise.

Participants vs. Observers during the exercise is intended to evaluate capabilities and proficiency of participating technical rescue teams, the event provides an excellent opportunity for other emergency responders that desire additional information on technical rescue to observe the activities and evolutions utilized by technical rescue teams. Observers will be able to gain a greater understanding of the methodologies utilized by technical rescue teams during their operations. This will assist those responders who may find themselves working with technical rescue teams at future emergencies as well as give greater insight if their agency is contemplating becoming involved in technical rescue.

How to Register

Technical Rescue Teams interested in participating in this event and emergency responders interested in observing the exercise should contact Thomas Howard of the NYS Office of Fire Prevention and Control to register and to gather additional information including hotel accommodations.

Howard can be contacted at 518-452-2185 or via email at thoward. It is requested that only one individual from each entity wishing to observe or participate serve as the prime point of contact.